Digital Commons Network^™

Language Ideologies In Transgender Communities In The U.S. South, Archie Crowley

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation examines how metalinguistic discussions within transgender communities in South Carolina are shaped by experiences, identities, and ideologies related to intersecting social dimensions, specifically, gender, age, race, and regional identity. Based primarily on 20 ethnographic group and individual interviews with 41 transgender individuals living in South Carolina, as well as over 24 months of participant-observation in two trans organizations, the analysis illustrates how trans South Carolinians simultaneously navigated changing norms of community language use, expectations of regional linguistic practices, and mainstream discussions of trans linguistic affirmation. I draw on these sociolinguistic and linguistic anthropological methods to examine how discourses …

Preparing In-Service Elementary Teachers To Support English Language Learners: A Qualitative Case Study Of A Job-Embedded Professional Development Using Tpack, Rachel Theresa Lopez

Theses and Dissertations

Nation-wide, the number of English Language Learners (ELL) in our classrooms continues to increase. Twenty percent of students enrolled in California public schools are ELLs, the highest percentage in the nation. With the continuously growing number of ELLs in our classrooms, our mainstream teachers must be prepared to teach content and meet the unique linguistic needs of these students. At Sotomayor Elementary School in the Central Valley of California, 38% of the students enrolled are ELLs. Despite high numbers of ELLs, the district sees minimal evidence of intentional planning for Designated English Language Development (D-ELD), or instruction specifically targeted to …

The Theory Of Intonation: Boris Asafiev And The Russian Piano School Tradition, Polina Golubkova

Theses and Dissertations

Boris Asafiev was one of the leading musicologists whose Theory of Intonation is a philosophical and aesthetic study that comprehensively explains the historical and theoretical aspects of musical art. The Theory of Intonation is the methodological basis for music disciplines in Russia, including piano pedagogy. The purpose of this study is to create a source that explains Asafiev’s philosophical and aesthetic vision of the concept of intonation and to show how it can be applied to piano pedagogy. This study is also intended to translate and codify the Theory of Intonation and to provide examples of its implementation in any …

Teacher Observations As Professional Development Opportunities, Ashton Carrie Padgett

Theses and Dissertations

This research project sought to understand how the complexities and challenges of offering high-quality professional development district-wide impacted teachers’ ability to implement their new learning. The literature posits that to be considered effective, professional development must include six distinct design elements: (1) Data driven, (2) Incorporates active learning utilizing adult learning theory, (3) Supports collaboration, (4) Context-Specific, (5) Feedback-centered, and (6) Supported by principal leadership (Darling Hammond et al., 2017, p. 4). While each of these design elements seems appropriate and rooted in best practices, when planning professional development, the scheduling and unique circumstances of secondary schools makes incorporating these …

Food Insecurity In Youth And Young Adults With Diabetes: Prevalence And Association With Health Behaviors, Lauren Helene Martini

Theses and Dissertations

Given the life-long impact of diabetes(1-5), it is important to engage in behaviors that promote health and wellness to delay or prevent negative health outcomes(3, 6-10). Despite this, youth and young adults with diabetes generally do not adhere to nutritional(11-17) or physical activity(18, 19) recommendations. In households experiencing financial difficulties, especially those who are having difficulty providing sufficient food to all of its members, adhering to recommendations may be even more difficult.

The purpose of this dissertation is to better understand and contextualize food insecurity among youth and young adults (YYA) with youth-onset T1DM and T2DM. The first aim addresses …

An Examination Of The Prevalence And Predictors Of Drugging Victimization And Drugging Perpetration In A National Sample, Amber Nicole Wallace

Theses and Dissertations

Objective: The current study sought to expand the understanding of the nascent phenomenon of drugging, the administering of a drug or alcohol substance to an individual without their knowledge or consent (Swan et al., 2017). Specifically, in this paper, the lifestyle-routine activities theory (L-RAT) is used as a framework to examine what factors may contribute to the occurrence of drugging. Prevalence rates of drugging victimization and drugging perpetration are examined by participant characteristics including gender, sexual orientation, and race/ethnicity, and by risk behaviors including illicit drug use, marijuana use, and binge drinking. Trait sensation seeking, which has been shown to …

The Risk Of Protection: Examining The Contextual Effects Of Child Protective Services On Child Maltreatment Fatalities In The U.S., Cosette Morgan Mccullough

Theses and Dissertations

Much research has been done in the field of child homicide. While child homicide is a statistically rare event, it is especially pervasive in the United States. A subsection of research in the child homicide literature is the topic of child maltreatment fatalities, defined as when a child is killed through the means of maltreatment, such as physical abuse or neglect. What has been less so researched, however, is the combination of factors that can affect a child’s fatality risk. The current study seeks to expand on the previous research using the 2019 Child File of the National Child Abuse …

Exploring Trustworthiness Issues About Disaster-Related Information Generated By Artificial Intelligence, Xin Tao

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis tested the degree of trustworthiness of disaster-related information generated by artificial intelligence among American people and Chinese people, and explored the causes of people's attitudes towards trust or distrust. The thesis used OpenAI's GPT-3 model to generate stories based on real disaster events by artificial intelligence, and tested the degree of trustworthiness in semi-structured interview. The study showed that it was promising to use AI technology to publicize disaster-related news to audience. To increase readers' trust in AI-generated disaster-related information, news organizations should maintain a high level of transparency about the identity of the AI author, use the …

Design Of A Tvsa Cycle For Co2 Removal From Spacecraft Cabins Using A Structured Adsorbent, Pravin Bosco Charles Antony Amalraj

Theses and Dissertations

Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) and Temperature Swing Adsorption (TSA) are some of the most used cyclic adsorption technologies that is used for separating gas components from its mixture. Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) in the International Space Station (ISS) facilitates the continuous removal of CO2 by the cyclic adsorption process. The use of structured adsorbents has drawn attention due its several advantages over traditional beaded adsorbents. This work evaluates the role of different design variables on the effective thermal conductivity of a structured adsorbent bed for its possible application in a temperature swing adsorption (TVSA) process for space applications. The …

Nature As Culture: Ecofeminist Narratives Of Environmental And Colonial History, Sydney Leimbach

Theses and Dissertations

“Nature as Culture: Ecofeminist Narratives of Environmental and Colonial History” is a cross-cultural, comparative, feminist investigation of two films, The Nightingale and Wolfwalkers, and two books, The Giving Tree and The Overstory. The narratives are analyzed through a combination of ecofeminism and decolonial feminism, revealing the four narratives’ investment in the effects of colonization on the environment. The two chapters explore the association of women with nature, traditionally used as a subordinating position, instead as a condition of empathetic understanding with both the colonized and the environment. Further, these narratives use the association of women with nature as …

Aortopathies: Mechanism Of Pathogenesis And Therapy, Mengistu G. Gebere

Theses and Dissertations

The aorta is the largest artery in the body which is directly connected to the left ventricle of the heart and functions as an elastic conduit that transports the ejected blood from the left ventricle to peripheral vessels. There are three layers to the aortic wall, tunica intima, tunica media, and tunica adventitia. The tunica media, the thickest middle layer, is composed of vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC) and the extracellular matrix (ECM) as its essential components. SMCs are circumferentially arranged and embedded in elastic lamellae. They are responsible for producing and maintaining/remodeling the extracellular matrix of the aortic media. …

Targeting Macrophages In Cancer Models Using Natural Compounds, Sierra Jordan Mcdonald

Theses and Dissertations

Cancer remains a leading cause of death worldwide. More specifically, breast cancer (BrCa) and colorectal cancer (CRC) continue to be the most diagnosed cancers and leading causes of cancer-related death worldwide. Given that surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy is only effective in 20% of CRC patients, and that there are no preventive agents for BrCa metastasis for hormone receptor negative patients, more effective agents and strategies are needed in both the prevention and treatment of these cancers. As one of the most abundant immune cells in the tumor microenvironment, macrophages help regulate primary tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis in many …

Kurt Vonnegut, A Difficult Feminist: Investigating Female Characters In Bluebeard, Matthew Steven Medl

Theses and Dissertations

After a brief contextualization of Vonnegut’s work, this essay close-reads his 1987 novel, Bluebeard, and locates the feminism within. I argue that Vonnegut establishes women as agents of generative change, breakers of marital conventions, artistic sages, authors, expressionists, interlopers, and nonviolent activists. I primarily examine Circe Berman and Marilee Kemp, supplementing with evidence from Edith Taft and Dorothy, as well as wider scholarship.

Hi-05 Helen Dupré Moseley: Painter, Author, Roller-Coaster Fan, And Air Stewardess Of Flying Saucers, Lizzie Richards, Karen H. Goodchild Dr., Youmi Efurd Dr.

SC Upstate Research Symposium

Without having any formal training in the arts, Helen Dupré Moseley (1887-1984) made art for around fifty years of her life in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Utilizing different media and formal qualities, Moseley created fantastic works of art that forced viewers to use their imagination and make their own choices in interpretation.

In addition to works of art, she was also an avid writer and thinker, producing many short stories and unpublished children’s books. What makes her distinct is how she was formally untrained as an artist yet was not excluded from the art world, as she had the ability to …

Mc-01 Identification Of Genes In Blastocoel Fluid Associated With Successful Ivf Outcomes Of Women Of Advanced Maternal Age, Hannah C. Archer, Thao Nguyen, Carson Collins, Kayla Vaillant, Molly Riehs, Sarayu Bethi, Renee J. Chosed

SC Upstate Research Symposium

Introduction: A patient may seek the use of IVF technology when they are struggling to become pregnant. To improve IVF outcomes, much research is focused on identifying markers to allow embryologists to transfer embryos with the greatest chance of a successful pregnancy. Women of advanced maternal age, which is thirty-five years and older have a lower chance of success on a first attempt with IVF, women at the age of 40 have a 9% chance of a live birth with IVF. Therefore, identification of an additional biomarker during preimplantation embryo development that is associated with successful implantation in AMA patients, …

Pc-01 Synthesis Of Zinc Glycoconjugated Phthalocyanines As A Potential Phototherapeutic, Jessica A. Silva-Conejo, Katrina Mccarter, Tessa Greene, Joshua V. Ruppel

SC Upstate Research Symposium

Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) uses photosensitizers that are activated by light to produce singlet oxygen that can cause cell damage and potential cell death. Phthalocyanines are promising photosensitizers due to their absorption at clinically relevant wavelengths, meaning that they absorb at a wavelength that can penetrate deeper into tissues.

One challenge with using Phthalocyanines is that they have very low solubility in biological media. One potential approach to increase solubility is through glycoconjugation. Glycoconjugation can also be used as a strategy to increase selectivity toward targeted tissues. Glycoconjugated phthalocyanines can be synthesized using a copper catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction, otherwise known …

Up-03 Identifying The Determinants Of Pediatric Vaccine Uptake During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Colleen Phan, Brandon Mercardo, Justin Travis Ph.D., Ginny Webb Ph.D.

SC Upstate Research Symposium

COVID-19 has caused over a million deaths in the United States. Preventative measures such as masks, social distancing, and vaccination have been implemented to fight against the disease. Unfortunately, a large subset of Americans opposed these efforts.

SC DHEC reports that as of January 2023, only 53.9 % of eligible South Carolinians have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Previous studies have shown vaccine hesitancy is influenced largely by personal concerns about vaccine development, peer vaccination status, and general skepticism of immunization.

Hesitancy towards pediatric vaccination is particularly concerning because unvaccinated children can act as vessels to exponentially accelerate COVID-19 transmission. …

Traffic Lights For Catalysis: Stimuli-Responsive Molecular And Extended Catalytic Systems, Grace C. Thaggard, Johanna Haimeri, Roland A. Fischer Prof. Dr., Kyoung Chul Park, Natalia B. Shustova Prof. Dr.

Faculty Publications

The advances made in the field of stimuli-responsive catalysis during the last five years with a focus on the novel recently-emerged directions and applications have been surveyed. Metal-free catalysts and organometallic complexes, as well as biomimetic systems and extended structures, which display switchable catalytic activity for a variety of organic transformations, are discussed. Light-activated systems comprised of photochromic molecules capable of modulating reaction rate, yield, or enantioselectivity based on geometric and electronic changes associated with photoisomerization are the focus of the detailed discussion. Alternative stimuli, including pH and temperature, which could be applied either alone or in combination with light, …

Public Opinion And The Media’S Impact In U.S. Foreign Policy, Ada Skradski

University Libraries Award for Undergraduate Research

No abstract provided.

Garnet & Black Spring 2023, University Of South Carolina, Office Of Student Media

Garnet & Black Magazine

No abstract provided.

Capturing Children Food Exposure Using Wearable Cameras And Deep Learning, Shady Elbassuoni, Hala Ghattas Ph.D., Jalila El Ati, Yorgo Zoughby, Aline Semaan, Christelle Akl, Tarek Trabelsi, Reem Talhouk, Houda Ben Gharbia, Zoulfikar Shmayssani, Aya Mourad

Faculty Publications

Children’s dietary habits are influenced by complex factors within their home, school and neighborhood environments. Identifying such influencers and assessing their effects is traditionally based on self-reported data which can be prone to recall bias. We developed a culturally acceptable machine-learning-based data-collection system to objectively capture school-children’s exposure to food (including food items, food advertisements, and food outlets) in two urban Arab centers: Greater Beirut, in Lebanon, and Greater Tunis, in Tunisia. Our machine-learning-based system consists of 1) a wearable camera that captures continuous footage of children’s environment during a typical school day, 2) a machine learning model that automatically …

Isolation: The Experience Of Adolescent Motherhood In Laos, Souksamone Thongmixay, Dirk Essink, Taewee Kahrs, Viengnakhone Vongxay, Pamela Wright Phd, Ms, Med, Rn, Cen, Vanphanom Sychareun, Jacqueline E. Broerse

Publications

BACKGROUND:Teenage pregnancy is a persistent public health problem with pervasive socio-economic consequences, particularly in in low- and middle-income countries, often related to low social participation and low economic security. The experiences of adolescent pregnancy and motherhood have seldom been described from a personal point of view. This study aimed to gain insights into how adolescent mothers in Laos experience their motherhood, how they perceive their situation and try to cope with it.

METHODS: This qualitative study was undertaken with 20 pregnant adolescents and young mothers living in peri-urban areas in two of the 18 provinces in Laos. Data were collected …

Leveraging Digital Technology To Support Pregnant And Early Parenting Women In Recovery From Addictive Substances: A Scoping Review, Phyllis Raynor, Cynthia F. Corbett Phd, Rn, Faan, Delia West, D'Arion Johnston, Kacey Eiche, Alain Litwin, Constance Guille, Ron Prinz

Publications

Little is known about digital health interventions used to support treatment for pregnant and early parenting women (PEPW) with substance use disorders (SUD).METHODS: Guided by the Arksey and O'Malley's Scoping Review Framework, empirical studies were identified within the CINAHL, PsycInfo, PubMed, and ProQuest databases using subject headings and free-text keywords. Studies were selected based on a priori inclusion/exclusion criteria, and data extraction and descriptive analysis were performed. RESULTS: A total of 27 original studies and 30 articles were included. Varying study designs were used, including several feasibility and acceptability studies. However, efficacious findings on abstinence and other clinically important outcomes …

March 1, 2023 Faculty Senate Minutes, University Of South Carolina

Faculty Senate

No abstract provided.

Knowledge Graph Empowered Machine Learning Pipelines For Improved Efficiency, Reusability, And Explainability, Revathy Venkataramanan, Aalap Tripathy, Martin Foltin, Hong Yung Yip, Annmary Justine, Amit Sheth

Publications

Artificial intelligence (AI) pipelines are complex, heavily parameterized, and expensive to execute in terms of time and computational resources. Consequently, it is onerous to run experiments with all possible parameter combinations to achieve an optimal solution. However, these AI experiments can be optimized by recommending relevant parameters to commence the experiments, reducing search space significantly, which can be fine tuned further. The relevant parameters can be identified by observing the metadata of pipelines executed in the past, and the relevant pipeline with relevant parameters can be recommended to the user. Currently, there are various metadata frameworks that automatically record the …

The Daily Gamecock, Redefining Normal, February 2023, University Of South Carolina, Office Of Student Media

February

No abstract provided.

Feasibility Of A Community-Based, Online, Peer-Supported Spinal Cord Injury Self-Management Intervention: Protocol For A Pilot Wait-Listed Randomized Trial, Susan Dunreath Newman Phd, Rn, Crrn, Faan, Sherwood Toatley, Marka Danielle Rodgers, Suparna Qanungo, Martina Mueller, Brian Denny, Angela Rodriguez

Publications

Background: People with spinal cord injury (SCI) report feeling unprepared to manage their disability upon discharge to the community. This situation is exacerbated when they return to settings where self-management support and resources are sparse, thus increasing the risk of costly secondary conditions and rehospitalizations. These factors make a compelling case for implementing innovative community-based SCI self-management programs that empower and engage individuals with SCI. Using a community-engaged research (CEnR) approach, we developed a peer-supported SCI self-management intervention, known as PHOENIX (Peer-supported Health Outreach, Education, and Information Exchange), which integrates online educational content and support from peer navigators (PNs) through …

Feasibility Of A Community-Based, Online, Peer-Supported Spinal Cord Injury Self-Management Intervention: Protocol For A Pilot Wait-Listed Randomized Trial, Susan Dunreath Newman Phd, Rn, Crrn, Faan, Sherwood Toatley, Marka Danielle Rodgers, Suparna Qanungo, Martina Mueller, Brian Denny, Angela Rodriguez

Publications

BACKGROUND:

People with spinal cord injury (SCI) report feeling unprepared to manage their disability upon discharge to the community. This situation is exacerbated when they return to settings where self-management support and resources are sparse, thus increasing the risk of costly secondary conditions and rehospitalizations. These factors make a compelling case for implementing innovative community-based SCI self-management programs that empower and engage individuals with SCI. Using a community-engaged research (CEnR) approach, we developed a peer-supported SCI self-management intervention, known as PHOENIX (Peer-supported Health Outreach, Education, and Information Exchange), which integrates online educational content and support from peer navigators (PNs) through …

On Limitations Of Uniplex Networks For Modeling Multiplex Contagion, Nicholas W. Landry, Jimi Adams

Faculty Publications

Many network contagion processes are inherently multiplex in nature, yet are often reduced to processes on uniplex networks in analytic practice. We therefore examine how data modeling choices can affect the predictions of contagion processes. We demonstrate that multiplex contagion processes are not simply the union of contagion processes over their constituent uniplex networks. We use multiplex network data from two different contexts- (1) a behavioral network to represent their potential for infectious disease transmission using a "simple"epidemiological model, and (2) users from online social network sites to represent their potential for information spread using a threshold-based "complex"contagion process. Our …

Social Isolation In Community-Dwelling Older Adults During Covid-19: Understanding The Role Of Resilience, A Garnett, K Prentice, R Booth, Lorie Donelle Phd, Rn, Fcan, J. B. Orange, F. Webster

Publications

The COVID-19 pandemic increased social isolation for many older adults, causing concern for their health and well-being. To enhance understanding of how community-dwelling older adults were impacted by prolonged social isolation during COVID-19, a qualitative descriptive study was conducted to: (1) explore the self-reported factors supporting their resilience during COVID-19 related social isolation, and (2) to help understand the intentional and unintentional outcomes of the government mandated health measures. A total of 19 community dwelling older adults were sampled. Factors that supported older adults' resilience during COVID-19 included maintaining positivity, drawing on historical experiences of resilience and finding opportunities to …